SB 1007 Hearing – Senate Environment & Natural Resources Committee

Oregon SB 1007, the companion Climate Test bill to HB 3343, is now officially scheduled for a hearing and possible work session in front of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. The public hearing will be held on Wednesday April 12 at 3PM in Hearing Room C. This is in addition to the public hearing to be held on Monday April 10 in front of the House Energy & Environment Committee.

Please do consider attending, if possible. Equally helpful would be to submit written testimony in favor. Please email your comments to senr.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov and tell them why you believe this bill is good for Oregon’s future.

Sample talking points for your testimony:

The fossil fuel industry wants to use Oregon as a gateway to Asian markets for their dirty fuels. To do so, they need to build pipelines and export terminals of record-breaking scale, i.e. infrastructure mega-projects.

Oregon regulations do not currently consider climate when reviewing permit applications for fossil fuel mega projects – that needs to change.

Under the Climate Test, the Oregon Dept. of Energy would coordinate all environmental permit processes, which currently are handled individually with no communication between agencies.

Additional considerations like health impacts on environmental justice communities and impacts on indigenous Tribes are part of the Climate Test.

Lastly, the Climate Test will examine the economic viability of a fossil fuel mega-project in a global energy economy that will limit global warming to well below 2 degrees C.

If the likely economic benefits under the “2 degree C scenario” do not outweigh the cumulative negative impacts, the permit will not be issued.